Almaty region, 80 km east
Oi-Qaragai
A pine forest resort built for families with nothing to prove.
A resort in the pine forest above the Turgen valley, built of wood and laid out along a stream. It is the one place near Almaty where the point is not to climb anything: children run, grandparents sit, and the air smells of resin all day.
What it is for
Wooden terraces, bridges over the water, paths through the pines, places to eat. Families use it as a day out or stay a night; either way nobody is expected to walk far or start early.
Combining it
It sits close to the Turgen gorge, so a day can take in both: the waterfalls in the morning while it is cool, the forest in the afternoon when the children are tired.
When to go
Good in every season. The pines hold snow in winter and the place is quieter then, but for a first visit with children the warm months are easier.
Tours that go here
Prices are per group, not per person, and include the guide, the driver and the car.
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan Nature Tour
Three days across canyon, lake and steppe, with two nights in comfortable mountain guesthouses.
Almaty
Almaty Family Tour
A day built around children: the mountain gondola, the aquarium, a park picnic and an early finish.